Worm-geared hand-brake.



H. FRESH.

WORM GEARED HAND BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED Arms, 1912.

1,03 5,340. Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

PVJTNESSES: H JNVENTOR.

gjwcaf g v ATTORNEY.

HENRY FRESH, or raos'risuae, MARYLAND.

woRM-GEA'RED HAND-BRAKE.

Specification of. Letters Patent.

Application filed April 2, 1912. Serial No. 687,973,

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

Tb all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HENRY FRESH, a resident of F-rostburg, in the county of Allega'ny and State ofi Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vorm- Geared Hand-Brakes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as I will enable others skilled in the art'to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improved means for operating hand-brakes for electric, steam or other cars.

The main object of the invention is to provide means of greatetiiciency and simplicity of construction'andwhich shall increase the leverage of the operator several times over that utilized by direct operated hand brakes,

- and which means shall hold at any point where it is set Without the use of dogs and ratchets, and insure perfect control and smooth running of the'car.

, The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

. In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention and forms part of the specification ;Figures 1, 2 and 3 are respec-. ,tively side, plan, and end elevation of the outer or upper end of a brake staff with the improved operating means combined therewith. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of a grip device; Fig. 5-is anend view of the lower member of the grip; and Fig. .6 is a bottom plan of the upper member of the In the drawing A represents a h and wheel, B a shaft for a worm C for operating a wheel D fixed to the upper end of a brake stafi E. The brake shoe and the connection between it and the staff not being of the present invention are not shown.

F, F denote sliding bearings for the worm shaft, and G a worm-shaft thrust collar inserted into the rear bearing F, and H a handle on the hand-wheel.

wall of a car and thus the brake staii can be placed within about four inches of the wall thereby givingabout' ten inches more room in the vestibule than usual.

O, O are bosseson the case to form bearings between the case and the staff E.

P is the .pivotmember for the lever K. Lever orinember K is secured directly to the part P, and lever ormember J is indirectly carried thereby, being pivoted to the lower member at K. As'shown, and as preferred, member K is 'in the form of an angle lever,

the other leg of which carries the-roller R. Member J atits innei end has a hook J which normally extends through a hole in the case and engages tlieend wall-of the case as shown in Fig. l. This-locks member K. Q, Q are eyebolts-' or similar-devices forming a working connection betweenbearings F and the pivot member P of the lever K.

R is a roller on the lever K adapted to bear against the end of the case M. TT, T are brackets extending from case M carryiilgthe lever K by its 'pivot mem* ,bers P. A torsion spring U is connected at V to the stafl and at W to the case M. (and thus to thecar wall to retrieve andtake up the slack chain). Inother words, when the brake has been applied by turning the worm, and is then released and moved back from the car wheels as usual, there will be a little slack in the brake-operating chain (not shown).. The spring U is so arranged as to act on the brake stafi in the direction to take up such slack. The case is slotted at X to permit the shaft B to be moved to the left 'sufiiciently to disengage the worm from the wheel D.

Y denotes a compression sprin pressing the bearings F toward the wheel to automatically reengage the worm and wheel when the former is released by the operator.

In operation the wheel A is turned to the right or to the left as required foroperating. the brake, ydriving the worm C in gear with wheel'D to strongly and easily turn the staff E to apply the brake (not shown) or to turn the staff revers'ely' For instant release of the staff and brake when starting the car, for example, or when operating the car from .the opposite end, the worm is disengag d by pressing down first on member J to disengage its hock, then on member K which acting through roller R, against the case moves the part. P to the left one'leg of which constitutesfla handle and operator releases his hold on the grip handle.

on the brackets T, thus through the conwheel D by pins or otherwise. The worm can be held disengaged by pulling members J, K down to a perpendicular position, thus causing roll'er R to pass a center line in its bearing on the case whereby the spring Y cannot move the worm to the right when the Without limiting myself to all the details of construction above set forth,'what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1; The combination with a brake staff,

of a worm wheel secured thereto, a worm shaft, a worm on said shaft adapted to turn said wheel and staff, a brake handle ,for

- turning said worm shaft, and means comprising an operating lever near to said han- -dle and operable by a brakeman when thelatter is in braking position for throwing the worm and worm wheel into or out of engagement.

2. The combination with a stafi or shaft,

. of a worm wheel secured thereto, a worm adapted to move to and from the wheel, and means for normally holding the worm in engagement and for releasing the same at will, a spring tendin to hold theworm in engagement, and a lever for moving the worm out of engagement after its release.

3. The combination of a brake staff, a worm wheel secured thereto, a worm and shaft, movable bearings for the shaft, a lock, and a moving device for said bearings.

4:. The combination of a brake staff, a worm wheel secured thereto, a worm and shaft, movable bearings for the shaft, and a lock and moving means for said bearings comprising pivoted members adapted to operate successively. v

5. The combination of a brake staff, a case throu h which the staff extends, a wheel on the sta within the case, a worm also in the case for driving the wheel and staff, a worm shaft distinct from the brake stall", and a spring secured at one end to the staff and at the other end to a fixed part whereby when the brake is applied and then released Copies of this patent may be obtained for saidspring acts to take up any undue slackness inthe brake chain.

6. The combination with a staff, of operating means for the staff comprising a casing, a gear therein on the staff, a cooperating gear in the casing, a shaft for the cooperating gear distinctfrom the staff, movable.

bearings for said shaft, and a hand lever operable outside the casing engage the said gears at W-lll.

7. The combination with a stafi" of operating'means for the fstaif comprising 9; casing into which the staff extends, a gear adapted to dis-.

wheel in the casing on; the staff, acooperat ing gear in the casing, a shaft for said gear, movable bearings for said shaft, a. hand lever operatively connected .to said bearings, and brackets on which the hand lever.

can turn and slide in the act of moving said bearings. Y 1

3. The combination, with a' brake staff, ofv operating means comprising a casing, gearing therein, movable bearings, an angle lever adapted to 'move one member of said gearing to disengage it from the other member, bearings T on which the angle lever can move, and a locking and releasing member pivoted to the angle lever.

9. A worm-geared hand-brake comprising, in combination, an upright brake staff, a

case at the top of the staff in which said staff has a bearing, a worm gear wheel fined on saidqstafi in said case, a cooperating worm andits shaft also in said case, an exterior handle for said shaft, and means withindirect reach and control of an operator of said handle for engaging or disengaging said worm and worm w ee 10. A- worm-geared hand-brake comprising, in combination, an upright brake staff, a worm Wheelon said staff at its top, a horizontal shaft, a worm on saidshaft, said shaft and worm being also at the top of the staff and the worm adapted to drive the worm wheel and staff, and means within direct reach and control of an operator of said worm and shaft adapted to put said worm and worm wheel into or out of gear at will.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY FRESH.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH H. LIPIOLD, W..C. CONLEY.

Washington, D. 0." 

